YOUNG people in the Bovey Tracey, Heathfield and Ilsington areas are being urged to say what they would like to see in a proposed youth activity centre on the British Ceramic Tile site in Heathfield.

At present, the plans are little more than an architect's dream, but Bridget Arnold, chairman of Moorskating, said that young people should step forward now to take part in the discussions.

If people are interested in getting involved in the discussion stages, this is the time. They need to start approaching us and saying what they want,' she said. Moorskating is a voluntary group campaigning for a youth activity centre in south Dartmoor. It, along with Devon Youth Services, has been in discussions with BCT for the past four years.

BCT has pledged to build a centre, along with 100 plus new homes, as part of its factory extension – provided it can get the site redesignated for mixed use by Teignbridge Council. BCT will not know about that until the Local Development Framework is published next February.

Last April, BCT chairman Konrad Goess-Saurau launched plans for The Loop – a community centre combining skate-boarding with a ceramic design and research centre all within a futuristic, eco-friendly building warmed by waste factory heat. It was rejected by Teignbridge planners at feasibility stage as being too large. Now the plan is to incorporate the ceramic centre into the factory building and to transfer the Loop's concept ideas into a smaller single purpose youth centre. Mrs Arnold said: 'The drawings are a starting point – hopefully we will be meeting the architect early in 2007 to look at the reality of what can be built on there.' So far it includes an indoor and outdoor skate park and office space for Devon Youth Services.

Mrs Arnold said she would like it to accommodate activities such as video making, basket ball, arts projects, music events and rehearsal space for local bands. She said: 'I am fairly optimistic. Konrad is sticking to what he said – that he will let us have the space to do this. It's the only space we have been given or have any chance of getting. 'We've got to hope that it happens. The need doesn't go away. Heathfield, Bovey Tracey, Ilsington and Haytor area still has nothing for young people..' Contact Moorskating on [email protected]">[email protected].